Commonly, when working in a hazardous environment, which may be oxygen-deficient or which may expose occupants to toxins, pathogens, or other hazards, a worker wears a protective garment, which is made from sheets of fluid-impervious films or from sheets of fluid-impervious fabrics. Such protective garments are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,851, No. 4,864,654, and No. 6,364,980, which disclose suitable films, fabrics, and laminates and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,654, it is known for a worker wearing a protective garment, as described above, to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, which comprises an air bottle, among other elements, and all elements of which are worn within the protective garment. Various closures are provided, which enable the wearer to don the self-contained breathing apparatus, to doff it, and to change its air bottle.